White Gold

Modern, classic and elegant, white gold is relatively a new comer to the jewellery industry, dating back to the 1920s but one which has become increasingly popular since the 1990s. People often assume that white gold is naturally white however this is not the case. Yellow gold is alloyed with palladium, silver or nickel, making the gold look yellowish white in appearance.

The beautiful white sheen is achieved by a process called rhodium plating, a thin layer or rhodium is applied to the gold. Rhodium is a member of Platinum Group Metals, known as a ‘Noble’ metal, and one which will help protect jewellery from wear and tear.

As18 carat white gold naturally contains yellow gold; the yellow colour will become visible once the rhodium plating starts to wear off over time and will require re-plating. Some people prefer true white gold without rhodium plating due to the warmth of the yellow hue.

At Diamond Boutique we use 18 carat white gold for our gold jewellery which is 75% pure gold with 25% palladium or silver. Your white gold jewellery will come with a gold hallmark depicting 750 and is nickel safe.